Six decisive months for the Republic of Moldova
written by: Dan Dungaciu
Jul 30, 2010

„Stephen the Great, to whom we owe so many things, has introduced the name of Republic of Moldova to many European and Asian countries from those times"

(V. Voronin, 2 July 2010)

The agenda of the debates from Chisinau is extremely ...more

China and USA - a future "cold war" ?
written by: Balaji Chandramohan
Jul 26, 2010

The 9th IISS Asia Security Summit, the Shangri-La Dialogue held in Singapore from June 4-6 2010, clearly emphasizes that in years to come the United States and China could fight a "cold war" for the better part of the 21st century. The U.S. Quadrennial Defense Review 2010 (QDR) released ...more

Reflections on Vostok 2010: Selling an Image
written by: Roger McDermott
Jul 20, 2010

Jacob Kipp recently analyzed the political-military context of Vostok 2010 and drew attention to an increased threat perception in the Russian Far East relating to China. Kipp also referred to the taboo within Russian security circles about openly referring to China in discussion of threat perception, ...more

Considerations about the Chinese Intelligence Services (II)
written by: Octavian Dumitrescu
Jul 16, 2010

The Ministry of Public Security (MPS) is the second Chinese intelligence service. It is considered to be a national security organization that supervises all provincial and local police departments. Since it ...more

India, Bangladesh and Energy Security
written by: Sowmya Suryanarayanan
Jul 12, 2010

In January 2010, India and Bangladesh agreed to cooperate in the energy sector to tackle the looming energy crisis. This development is significant as co-operation in the past has been constrained by political mistrust and public misconceptions. Cooperation in the energy sector is crucial for Bangladesh ...more

Sri Lanka's Post-Conflict Reconstruction Challenges
written by: Balaji Chandramohan
Jun 17, 2010

A year after the death of terrorist organization, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)'s head V Prabhakaran's death, Sri Lanka is still struggling to get back to peace. Nothing illustrates better than the continued emergency extended on June 9, 2010.

To garner support for his country's ...more

The Cheonan incident and its consequences - relapse into Cold War confrontation or misunderstood détente?
written by: Dr. Bernhard J. Seliger
Jun 04, 2010

Since two months the tensions around the sinking of the South Korean corvette and the death of 46 South Korean sailors are running high, with international, inner-Korean and South Korean domestic effects. An international investigation team confirmed with the utmost probability on May 20 2010, that ...more

Energy Game in Central Asia
written by: Ambika Vishwanath
May 21, 2010

The global financial crisis, the long war, and the theory that water will be the next big cause of conflict, have all served to partially hide an extremely important, quietly waged, global energy game. This 'game' is a fierce struggle for control over the world's greatest oil and gas reserves in ...more

India-China Great Power Rivalry starts
written by: Balaji Chandramohan
May 11, 2010

If anything could be read aloud at end of the 16th South Asia Association of Regional Co-operation ( SAARC) in Thimphu, the capital of the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan, is the beginning of the great power rivalry between India and China first in the region of South Asia and in the greater part of ...more

An East Asian Community and Japan-China Relations
written by: Yoshihide Soeya
May 10, 2010

Since the end of the Cold War, the most important strategic relationship in East Asia has been and will continue to be the one between the United States and China. Given this profound reality, Japan is obviously a lesser strategic player, and it is a fundamental mistake, both analytically and policy-wise, ...more

Indonesia: Jihadi Surprise in Aceh
May 03, 2010

As revelations about a jihadi coalition calling itself "Al Qaeda Indonesia in Aceh" continue to emerge, the Indonesian government should take steps to tighten control over prisons, provide more training for police in confronting armed suspects and consider banning paramilitary training ...more

China: Crunch Time
written by: Peter Zeihan
Apr 07, 2010

The global system is undergoing profound change. Three powers - Germany, China and Iran - face challenges forcing them to refashion the way they interact with their regions and the world. We are exploring each of these three states in detail in three geopolitical weeklies, highlighting how STRATFOR's ...more

Southeastern Europe's Chinese endeavors
written by: Ioannis Michaletos
Mar 18, 2010

Over the past two years, the economic crisis has badly affected most states in the world and has caused quite a few financial hurdles for economies in transition, such as the ones in Southeastern Europe.

In parallel, a notable development that is being formatted is the importation of Chinese ...more

Turkey and its foreign policy in the time of Gul - Erdogan - Davutoglu
written by: Corneliu Pivariu
Mar 17, 2010

"In 2023, when the country will celebrate 100 years since the creation of the modern Turkish state, I see Turkey as a full EU member, after having fulfilled all the membership requests, living in peace with its neighbors, integrated with the ...more

China and India's turf war in Nepal
written by: Bhumika Ghimire
Mar 01, 2010

As protests in Lhasa erupted just five months before 2008 Beijing Olympics, China was forced to realize that the Tibet issue could no longer be dealt as a solely internal matter. Neighboring Nepal's capital Kathmandu was scene of violent struggle between local police and Tibetan protesters. International ...more

Bangladesh - Water, Migration & Security Concerns
written by: Sowmya Suryanarayanan
Feb 24, 2010

Bangladesh shares around 4095km of its border with India. Over the years cross border migration from Bangladesh to India has taken place owing to a combination of economic and political factors. Currently, an estimated 20 million Bangladeshis illegally stay in India. In ...more

We Need Both Hatoyama's Decision and Obama's Patience
written by: Tsuneo "Nabe" Watanabe
Feb 11, 2010

Alliance managers in both Japan and the United States are worried about "alliance drift" again. There are two causes for concern: the impasse over the relocation of the US' Futenma Air Station in Okinawa and US doubt about the liberal Hatoyama administration's commitment to the bilateral military ...more

Central Asia: Migrants and the Economic Crisis
Jan 12, 2010

Bishkek/Brussels, 5 January 2010: If Central Asian countries want to survive as viable independent states and avoid political and social instability in the region, they need to make urgent reforms in the labour sector.

...more

China & the U.S.: from containment to a harmonious partnership
written by: Dr. Hubertus Hoffmann
Dec 22, 2009

Chinese-U.S. relations can only be understood as a very long march from pasts rooted in very different cultures, and national histories dominated by national interests, geography and perceptions of each other.

Now, the relationship is dominated by economic interests and ...more

How Wilhelmine is the Chinese Navy?
written by: Andy Yee
Dec 11, 2009

The growing fear about the Chinese navy

In recent years, a number of commentators have compared the rise of modern China and the rise of Wilhelmine Germany a century ago. For example, American legal scholar Richard Posner and Newsweek's Fareed Zakaria are both struck by the ...more

Organized crime in the Caucasus
written by: Ioannis Michaletos
Nov 27, 2009

Caucasus is traditionally seen as the geographical bridge between Europe and the Middle East and it is one of the focal regions in modern day global politics due to its sensitive placement within the reach of some of the most volatile, yet energy rich peripheries of Eurasia.

Moreover ...more

The War on Terrorism Ends; and the Winner is... China
written by: Leon Hadar
Nov 18, 2009

Lee Kwan Yew, the Founding Father of Singapore and that city-state's first Prime Minister (1959-90) and its current Minister Mentor (a cabinet position he assumed when his son eldest Lee Hsien Loong was elected as Prime Minister in 2004) is one the global village's leading Wise Men; East Asia's Henry ...more

Shades of Red: China's Debate over North Korea
Nov 09, 2009

Beijing/Brussels, 2 November 2009: China's internal debate following North Korea's most recent provocations was interpreted in some Western capitals as a sign that Beijing is finally getting tough with its neighbour.

...more

Pakistan, Myanmar, Bangladesh look at nuclear option
written by: Priyanka Bhardwaj
Nov 05, 2009

NEW DELHI: Some call it the bandwagon effect, the impact of India’s growing nuclear energy program, is being felt in neighboring countries, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Post the signing of the Indo-US civil nuclear deal last year and other international approvals, India has announced ...more

In Recession, China Solidifies Its Lead in Global Trade
written by: David Barboza
Oct 14, 2009

SHANGHAI - With the global recession making consumers and businesses more price-conscious, ...more

India plays down Chinese incursions
written by: Priyanka Bhardwaj
Oct 08, 2009

NEW DELHI - Reports of incursions into Indian territory by the Chinese have been on the rise in recent weeks.

The reports include the injury of two soldiers from the ITBP (Indo-Tibetan Border Police Force) in firing from across the border into the northeastern Indian state Arunachal Pradesh, ...more

The EU and SCO: a case for engagement
written by: Andy Yee
Oct 07, 2009

A new interest of engagement

On 1 August 2009, Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the new NATO secretary general, took office. Surrounding this are recent debates over how NATO should engage with the recently expanded network of security actors. The Shanghai Cooperation ...more

US takes a radical turn on Myanmar
written by: Brian McCartan
Sep 30, 2009

BANGKOK - The Barack Obama administration has broken ranks with its recent predecessors in announcing its intention to engage Myanmar's ruling generals while also maintaining economic and financial sanctions against the military regime. The outgoing George W Bush administration imposed new financial ...more